RoadVitals

2015 Volkswagen Golf Sportswagen

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
5
Latest Apr 21, 2019
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 5 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2015 Volkswagen Golf Sportswagen, most frequently naming the airbags, electrical and body & structure categories. 78 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Airbags225.0%
  • Electrical225.0%
  • Body & structure112.5%
  • Exterior lighting112.5%
  • Seat belts112.5%
  • Visibility112.5%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Exterior lighting
Filed Apr 21, 2019

WHEN I WAS DRIVING I PARKED GOT SOMETHING TO EAT AND WHEN I GOT BACK IN THE CAR I HEARD THIS WEIRD NOISE AND I PUT IT IN REVERSE AND THE REVERSE LIGHTS WOULDN'T WORK

NHTSA ID
11202750
Incident
Apr 20, 2019
Mileage
33,872 mi
Body & structureVisibility
Filed Sep 24, 2018

LEAKING PANORAMIC SUNROOF CAUSES MOISTURE AND MOLD ON THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE. HAPPENED IN THE RAIN WHEN PARKED AND DRIVING.

NHTSA ID
11131101
Incident
Sep 23, 2018
Mileage
33,900 mi
AirbagsElectrical
Filed Jul 31, 2018

AT 39K MILES, WHILE BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT, A CLICKING NOISE EMITTED FROM THE STEERING COLUMN, THEN WARNING LIGHT CAME ON FOR THE AIRBAG AND TRANSMISSION WITH THE CAR'S DISPLAY SAYING NOT TO DRIVE IT. SOME RESEARCH AND TESTING REVEAL THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE STEERING WHEEL (INCLUDING AIRBAG, HORN, AND ALL CONTROLS MOUNTED THERE) AND THE CAR HAS BEEN SEVERED. A PART CALLED THE 'CLOCK SPRING' HAS FAILED UNDER NORMAL USE. THIS ISSUE HAS OCCURRED ON THOUSANDS OF SIMILAR VWS AND THE NHTSA HAS OR HAD AN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS VERY ISSUE, BUT ONLY 2010-2014 MODEL YEAR CARS. AS A CONSEQUENCE THE AIRBAG AND HORN ARE NOT WORKING. VW SO FAR SAYS THIS IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE ESTIMATED REPAIR IS OVER $500. FOR A PART THAT SHOULD ALMOST NEVER FAIL. IT IS A POOR DESIGN, AND A KNOWN ISSUE ACROSS THEIR MODEL LINE. VW SHOULD COVER THIS. THE LIABILITY ISSUES IF SOMEBODY GETS HURT DUE TO THE FAILED CLOCK SPRING AND DE-ACTIVATED DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG.

NHTSA ID
11114795
Incident
Jul 31, 2018
Mileage
39,200 mi
AirbagsElectrical
Filed Jul 26, 2018

WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION, ALL ELECTRICAL COMPONENT BUTTONS CONNECTED TO THE STEERING WHEEL, INCLUDING THE HORN STOPPED WORKING AND THE AIR BAG SENSOR LIGHT WENT ON , ALONG WITH TRANSMISSION SENSOR ERROR. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEY IDENTIFIED THE CLOCKSPRING IN THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.

NHTSA ID
11114006
Incident
Jul 22, 2018
Mileage
53,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed Dec 4, 2017

I OWN A 2015 AND MY BACK SEATBELT HAS FAILED. IT WILL NOT LATCH. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY STATED IT WOULD BE $120 CHARGE JUST TO DIAGNOSE AND SEE WHAT IS WRONG BEFORE REPLACING OR FIXING THE SEATBELT. AFTER THAT CHARGE HE COULDN'T SAY IF IT WOULD BE UNDER WARRANTY OR THE COST TO FIX IT. I AM NOTIFYING YOU OF THIS FAILURE AND COST BECAUSE THIS SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE EVALUATED FOR NO COST DUE TO THE HIGH CONCERN FOR SAFETY. I FEEL VOLKSWAGEN IS PUTTING MONEY BEFORE SAFETY. THE DEALERSHIP I CONTACTED WAS LARRY MILLER IN LAKEWOOD CO.

NHTSA ID
11052233
Incident
Dec 4, 2017
Mileage
48,000 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

DCcampreminder

EQUIPMENT

Campaign Reminder Communication. Also includes: 1998-2004 Beetle, 2003-2004 Beetle Convertible, 2019 Beetle Convertible, 1994-2004 Eurovan, 1994-2004 Golf, 1994-2004 Jetta, 2001-2004 Jetta Wagon, 2018-2019 Tiguan LWB, 1994-2004 Passat, 1994-2004 Passat Wagon, 2004 Phaeton, 2013-2016 Jetta Hybrid, 2004 R32 and 1995-2006 Cabrio.

SM 33-2019

EQUIPMENT

The part number listed in the document is to be returned if it meets the criteria provided.

TT 91 19 01

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; EQUIPMENT

Alternative method for radio code retrieval.

Gasoline Engine

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Gasoline Engine Misfire Diagnosis document

V271901-2011894

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Battery Testing and Charging instruction. Updated to include model year 2019 applicability.

TT 371003

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

Update to model year applicability and existing tip for Dual clutch basic settings procedure.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Volkswagen Golf Sportswagen by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2017500
2016500
2015Viewing500

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.